In the Depth of Darkness
by Kaori-Angel
Summary: She has nightmares of the darkness of death, he is a notorious vampire lord; he wants her. Only she has information that can win his wars, yet she fears and hates him. How will Battousai deal with his little bird when a war is coming and she only resists?
1. Chap 1: Living Nightmare

**Living Nightmare**

_"A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it"_

**- _Jean de La Fontaine_**

* * *

When you believe in something you give everything you have to make it come true; otherwise, you do not truly believe in it. These words often ring true in the hearts of many people, but it is in one woman that they did not stand accurately.

Unlike everyone around her, the woman tried with all her might, every fiber in her being, to stop things that only she could see. Events that she believed were wrong, that needed to be changed forever. This woman saw the future, and of the horrid things to come. Her tale begins like many others, on a dark stormy night.

If one stepped into the room to try to discover what the source of the strange whimpering was; one would think that the figure on the bed was merely having a nightmare. But upon further inspection they would notice her hands, trapped to her sides viciously by an unseen force, her legs, tangled in an invisible struggle for dominance. Kaoru Kamiya was not having another nightmare, she was living the future.

Dark curses lifted from her cherry colored lips, horror and despair lifting involuntary groans from her throat. The wild sapphire orbs danced in fear, wishing nothing then to inflict harm to the creature holding her. However, unlike what her body and mind told her, she could not bring herself to do more then scream.

Brushing his lips near the edge of her ear her captor whispered harsh words, so quietly she could not understand what they meant. Her voice, rough from the screaming, repeated the words over and over, the expressions, "no, no, no!"

Her heart longed to turn back, to run to the dead woman on the floor. Not only did her captor refuse her, but her mind knew that no matter what she wished, turning back would only confirm the terrible truth that death had come and gone. The man, monster, pulled her through a large crowd, barking orders to those staring. Her beautiful black hair smacked against her face as she was dragged, leaving a trail of thick liquid behind: blood.

Numb to the pain of her body she tried to recall what had occurred, what exactly had happened to the woman on the floor? Disgust seemed to roll out in waves towards her captor, even as her struggles grew weak and forgotten.

It wasn't until the tears ran down her face did she realize she was crying, sobbing from an event she could not even remember. The man once again whispered, this time his words coming through her panicked thinking. He believed she had been standing alone for too long, that he would remain by her side forever. He promised that he would watch over her; take care of her as none other had done since the passing of her own family. His words, everything, were lies.

Lying passively within his hold Kaoru was not surprised to find herself dragged up into awaiting arms, giving her a clear view of the situation behind her. Empty, glassy eyes stared straight into her own, her friend was dead. Immediately her struggle renewed, as she remembered what she had first begun to fight for.

She needed to be free of the monster, needed to run back, to keep screaming until someone helped her, someone saved her. Kaoru knew, without a doubt in her mind, that this was not real, not yet. It would be something she would attempt to change with all her might, but like most of her visions would end up the same.

This creature, he was feared among society. He had denied her friend the chance to live beyond that night; he was the reason behind all her grief. The creature kept dragging her towards the door at an alarming speed, he wanted her for himself; the vampire.

Alarmingly she noticed the corpse move, the mouth opening as she spoke. Despite their distance the blond smiled, and whispered to her softly, "Wake up."

Twisting she found herself looking straight into the eyes of her captor, her breath was taken from her. Fire burned in his eyes, dark amber that screamed danger and seduction; she attempted to stifle a gasp and failed miserably.

Once again the corpse spoke, and the man's gaze was gone from her eyesight, to be replaced with a beautiful light blue she had only seen on one person; her best and only friend Yuki Narito.

Rolling away from the bent figure Kaoru held in the bile that worked itself into her throat, leaning near the edge of the sheets and staring at her dark carpet. Sweat seemed to drench her entire body, seeming to mock her fear of the vision. As sound returned to her ears she came to realize the harsh breathing was coming from her, her chest shaking to calm into a steady rate.

The sheets entangled themselves around her body, allowing little room to escape if she were being attacked. Each of her wrists were hidden from view so that she could not determine whether the dream had been a glimpse of reality or not. Kaoru had watched the man rip out the throat of her friend, and she had sat by and watched it happen. Her mind spun webs, trying to decide who the man with fire eyes was; why would he kill Yuki so simply? How could he kill so easily?

A hysterical laugh escaped her as she looked upon her blond friend with a smile, glad to see her standing and alive. Without warning Kaoru threw herself at Yuki, giving the girl a quick hug before tripping over her own covers with a slam. It was her friend's turn to laugh, despite being confused by the sudden cheerfulness Kaoru omitted.

Yuki was puzzled, her eyes flashing with curiosity as to what had made Kaoru turn into such an emotional wreck. Kaoru Kamiya had moved into her apartment only weeks before, after having lived alone for years and listened to Yuki beg for a roommate the girl had given in. Many times Kaoru would awake screaming, crying, or even attempting to run from the house in her pajamas in the middle of the night. Every time she claimed they had been nightmares, Yuki didn't believe it.

Never in her life had she seen a person awaken from sleep and be disturbed as greatly as Kaoru. Many times Yuki had imposed questions, and each time Kaoru avoided them with a change of subject or an exclamation that they were late to work.

Helping Kaoru off the floor she held up a tray she had originally brought into the room, almost having it knocked down by Kaoru's pounce. "Made one for you." She smiled.

Thanking her friend for the food Kaoru rubbed her chin, having landed on it when she fell. Yuki seemed to laugh at the movement which caused a spurt of angry words to be exchanged between the friends, although the blonde's came out amused and laughing.

Placing the tray on her dresser Yuki sauntered out of the room, going to retrieve the mail before they decided to head out to work. Both had opened up a store in which they sold the greatest of desserts. However, Kaoru was not allowed to go near the food, so while Yuki baked she often took care of the customer service and handled bad employees. Kaoru had a knack to instill fear in anyone that decided to mouth off.

Looking down at herself a small frown turned both sides of her lips; her black pajamas clung to every inch of skin, the sweat having them sticky and disgusting. Deciding that a shower was in order Kaoru peeled away her clothing, leaving only her undergarments on as she made her way to the bathroom connecting her to Yuki's room.

Moving carelessly towards the tub she quickly flipped on the water, turning on the showerhead with a quick pull of the faucet stopper. Turning towards the mirror, her mind wandering to dreams of the books she so avidly read, Kaoru realized she could not stop thinking of her nightmare.

Unlike most her visions it had felt closer to home, the man's hands capturing her wrists a remembrance of pain. It was an intense feeling, pinpointing to her wrists where he had first pulled her from the sight.

Sighing Kaoru turned towards the shower and stepped in, relaxing as the warmth enveloped her body. Sitting on the ground of the shower she allowed the water to hit her skin, her movements slow as she washed her head. It was as she put the bottle of conditioner on the ground that she realized how badly her arms seemed to shake.

Curious as to what might be causing the ache she glanced down at her hands, bruising away the loose strands of hair that feel into her face several times.

Kaoru screamed bloody murder. For on both her arms stood two dark bruises that encircled around her wrists, fingerprints. The dream had been a vision unlike any other; it had inflicted something real onto her.

Even as Yuki broke into the bathroom, trying to discover what had happened, Kaoru's panic grew louder. There was nothing that could be done to change the future, nothing that would change the fact that in a matter of weeks Yuki would be dead, and she would be dropped in the hands of a madman.

Thusly, she did the only thing that she could. She cried.


	2. Chap 2: A Contest

**Chapter 2:**

"There has to be evil so that good can prove its purity above it"

**_- Buddha_**

* * *

Moving on swift feet the young woman appeared to be floating across the rough gravel of the sidewalk; sapphire eyes distant in thought. Snow fell softly around her, caressing the soft strands of hair that had managed to find themselves out of the strategically placed ponytail. Her thin frame was clad in a large coat, hiding features but adding to the mystery of such a frail beauty. The sleeves covering the bandages placed to hide the bruises, hoping that onlookers would not believe her suicidal. As most of society would assume, she was just another beautiful creature, attempting to put an end to a meaningless life.

Their assumption would lean towards a partial truth, for various times she had held a blade with the intent to end her life; however, something had prevented her from doing so. Perhaps it was fear, or anger? Kaoru had been enraged by the curse that had come with her ability, plagued by the nightmares of things that weren't supposed to exist. Her life seemed like a fictional novel, one that revealed more truth then humans were ready to face.

Glancing down to avoid tripping over a large wine bottle on the sidewalk, Kaoru frowned at the direction her thoughts had been leading. She prayed that none had watched her too closely as she walked, glancing into her open eyes. The girl wore her heart on her sleeve, as she had once been told by a professor; she truly had eyes that were the window to her soul. However, many people refused to believe the tragedy that crashed against the deep blue, the truth was rarely accepted.

Startled when a familiar bell rang on the busy street Kaoru found herself standing affront the old Sweet Kitten's café, the store she owned. For years Yuki had helped her maintain the place by working on the sweets, only allowing Kaoru the privilege of tasting the snacks, even though she had great baking skills. Kaoru couldn't cook worth her life, but when it came to making the sweet things she had always had a knack for adding just the right ingredients.

Sweet Kitten's was a place in which she had the ability to lose herself, she worked hard enough that focusing on the future was something that proved impossible. Slow days were rare, considering their store had become one of the more popular places to eat. Smiling at the couple that had exited the shop Kaoru entered, adjusting to the low lights and comfortable atmosphere within seconds.

Standing behind the counter Yuki waved at her form quickly, eyes not peeling away from the line at the counter. Several customers had made themselves cozy in the booths and tables, and the one's Yuki was currently dealing with had simply wanted to order before they found themselves a place to talk.

Moving quickly across the café Kaoru removed her coat, hoping the wrist bands wouldn't be considered too harshly as they covered the bandages. She looked a bit like a young punk rocker, and would bet that any high school kids would mistake her for a Avril Lavinge wannabe; and perhaps try to find out what 'school' she went to. Kaoru was used to being mistaken for a teenager, and didn't quiet mind having people think she was as young as eighteen.

Taking the orders given to her Kaoru mixed drinks, warmed cups, and refilled waters in break neck speeds. Her friend's shoulders relaxing at the sudden help and service they could achieve while working together. Earlier that day Yuki had decided to leave early to open shop, having begged Kaoru to take a day off. It was obvious that she was glad she had refused; otherwise Yuki would have found herself in a deep mess of customers and orders.

After thirty minutes of working without stopping Kaoru was interrupted from the pouring of her own drink when a light tap on the shoulder turned her attention to the front desk. Yuki stood there, speaking to a tall man with the coldest expression Kaoru had ever seen. He was handsome, if the women could ignore the way his seemed to hold himself as if he were ready to attack someone. Shaking her head she stepped forward to greet the man, wondering if he had caused trouble for Yuki, or if it had been the other way around.

"Hi, how can I help you?" Kaoru asked with a tinge of fake kindness in her voice.

"I presume you're Kaoru Kamiya, owner of this café?" Ice cube asked.

"You presume correctly, is there something I can do for you today?" She didn't hide the irritation in her voice. If he had a complaint he might as well have made it with Yuki and walked away, he was holding up the line behind him.

"I've come here with an invitation," he held out a dark red envelope, which Yuki instantly grabbed. "My," he paused, searching for the right word. "Boss, would like that you and your friend to our food competition. The prize will give you money to improve your café." As he spoke his eyes searched the place, a sort of hidden emotion twinkling in his eyes.

"Look Kaoru!" The envelope was shoved in her face, the neatly written letters standing out on the white paper. "They'll provide more space and a bigger kitchen if we win!" Yuki jumped in excitement, placing the letter beneath the counter so that no one learned of the competition.

"We'll do it!" Yuki screeched before Kaoru could muster a protest.

"Excellent," the man announced, his eyes never leaving Kaoru's slumped form. "If that will be all, I'm sure my boss will be…pleased to meet you both." For some reason the words brought a chill to Kaoru, the stranger having not once removed his eyes from her form.

Twisting around he began to head to the exit, figuring the girls would discover the directions and the rest of the rules within the letter. It was no surprise when Kaoru's hand wrapped around his coat clad shoulder and her voice rung out in the air. "Wait!" Turning to face her with a questioning expression, the man waited, eager to make his exit so that he wouldn't get to much questions thrown his way.

"What's your name?" Kaoru asked.

As if ignoring her he pulled himself from her grasp and headed for the door, only turning as it swung closed. "Aoshi," he spoke. Then, without another moments chance to allow her to catch him, the man entered a black Mercedes and disappeared.

Flabbergasted at the action Kaoru turned towards the counter, taking out the envelope to see if the competition was something that they'd really want to join, or if it was another attempt at getting a free catering deal from all the café's in town. She was surprised to discover that the contest was held by the largest business corporation in town, a multi-billion dollar corporation: Himura Enterprises.

"Alright," she sighed to a peeking Yuki. "I guess we close shop this Saturday and head over to their building."

Ignoring the super-sonic squeaks coming from her companion Kaoru didn't like the situation at all. The man, Aoshi, had set off alarms in her head that simply screamed she not go to the building. She was aware that the opportunity was rare, considering no one in the media had ever been able to catch a glimpse of the young owner of the company. In big events someone had always stood up to represent him, but never had any of the top people been there to make an appearance.

There was something fishy about the situation, something she hadn't pinpointed. Kaoru Kamiya didn't like the feeling; she didn't like the feeling at all.

* * *

**IMPORTANT INFORMATION**

Hello Readers,

I'm sincerely grateful that you enjoy my stories, despite the fact that none of them are perfect. For those of you who are into "A Stormy Lullaby" and are wondering about the update, I will try to focus on it as best I can. The chapter is a bit tricky and I've been having a hard time placing it down on paper. A lot of things are going to occur in the next chapter, things that will change your views on some of the characters, and discoveries that weren't expected to happen.

As for this story, I'm trying to chance it a bit. It will still follow the coarse it had begun, but the events are going to all happen a little differently. Thank you for your patience, and I hope you keep reading this stuff.

Angel


	3. Chap 3: Lost in Visions

**Lost In Visions**

_"A gentleman is simply a patient wolf."_

_**- Lana Turner**_

* * *

Windows reflected the setting sun relentlessly, awing the passing crowd with the burst of colors reflected from the clouds. Each onlooker craned their necks in an attempt to view the spectacle, unable to catch a glimpse of the people inside looking down on them as unworthy ants. It screamed of new age architecture, of a strange coldness that had evolved among the world of large corporations; Kaoru Kamiya did not pause to stare, moving into the building in a quiet rush.

The lobby floor followed the theme set on the structure; hard marble covered the floor, all the furniture a classic black and dull grey. Behind the front desk a glass panel hung, water falling neatly down that would make any sane person have the urge to run to the bathroom. A plump blond sat down, obviously full of herself as she stared at the contestants through her own nose.

On each side of the large desk stood two armed men, daring anyone to attempt entry without permission of the elevator doors set behind them. Biting her own lip in nervousness at approaching the situation Kaoru moved to the desk with a bit of hesitation, wishing that Yuki did not take so long to park their catering van. The girl had sent her to check in, promising that she could handle carrying the caramel chocolate mousse pie, and the large tray of sweets, inside by herself. After a bit of arguing Yuki had somehow managed to get her thrown out of the car and into the Himura building without screaming bloody murder.

Ignoring the sound of her own heels echoing of the hard walls Kaoru spoke up quietly, hoping to seem a bit more timid then she actually was. "Excuse me?"

The blond peered up with a half frown, eyes bored as they studied her up and down without trying to hide the fact. Speaking into the phone line for a minute the woman briefly pretended Kaoru didn't exist. It was hard to ignore the urge to swipe the woman's eyes out of face, in an attempt to show that she wasn't someone that liked being ignored. However, before the action could take form in a fight the woman decided she could keep whoever was on the line on hold; that, or the person hung up on her.

"Can I help you?" Her voice came out sounding monotone: bored.

"I'm here for the contest? Sweet Kittens café?" Kaoru bit her tongue before a comment slipped out of her mind as a Freudian slip.

"You're late, to the left elevator." The woman smacked on piece of gum Kaoru was sure she wasn't supposed to be having. Her hand tightened into a fist, hidden by the sleeves of her white long-sleeved shirt. The clothing seemed to sweep anytime she moved, almost see through, although most people didn't dare look too hard.

"My business partner isn't here yet, can they wait another five minutes?" She asked.

"Look lady, either you go in now, or you don't go in at all." The woman then proceeded to turn back to the phone call, successfully cutting Kaoru out of her vision.

Sighing in defeat (only because of the armed security guards nearby) Kaoru turned to the left and let her feet guide her. The man had seemed to realize she would go because he'd already summoned the little metal box, the numbers on the top of the doors glowing slowly as they descended. He'd thrown her a strange look, one that screamed of pity and relief.

"Sorry, got here just in time!" Yuki's familiar voice chimed, out of breath, as the ring of the elevator announced its arrival.

Turning around she couldn't help but smile at the muddled dirty blond hair of her beautiful friend Yuki. The girl had outdone herself when it came to choosing what they would wear for the contest. She'd given Kaoru the white blouse with a nice long white skirt to contrast the darkness that seemed to surround her, also to hide the bruises without any hint as to the fact that they were there. She'd worn a soft pink blouse herself, a black skirt cutting at her knees to accent the shape of her legs.

In each of her hands she balanced a tray, the covers hiding away the soft food that had taken them hours to settle on making, and even longer to bake to their liking. The girls had both compromised on what to put in the desserts, and hoped that the corporation would appreciate the food. It wasn't a surprise when Yuki slumped a bit when Kaoru took a tray and walked into the elevator. Just because it was dessert didn't mean the dishes they'd chosen weren't heavy as hell.

Both of them stood silently in the elevator, trying to gain back some of their composure before meeting with the owners. Unconsciously one of Kaoru's fingers twirled at her hair, which Yuki had convinced her to curl and leave down so that it framed her heart shaped face. Of course, that meant that she had to be careful while handling the food so that no little piece of hair accidently fell into her hair or something of that nature.

Jumping when the elevator announced the arrival to the top level of the building Kaoru took a deep breath, followed by a set smile as the metal doors slid open. Yuki stepped ahead of her, wanting to be sure that Kaoru didn't trip on top of herself or make them look like the klutz pair.

"So I see that you've both decided to attend, and keep to your appointment late." A voice cut through the empty hallway they'd found themselves in. The man, Aoshi, stepped from the shadows that he had seemed to have become a part of, eyes glinting in the dim light.

"Ye...Yes." Kaoru managed nervously, fumbling with her dish so as not to drop it.

"Ms. Kamiya, please follow me." The man announced, then turned his attention to Yuki. "If you would kindly get the dishes prepared," his hand swept towards a cart, "we are prepared for you."

Yuki smiled as if his request was a common thing, her blue eyes clearly stating that she wasn't allowing Kaoru to go meet the judges by herself. "The dishes are prepared, and we already have all the things needed to serve within the trays." She explained.

Watching them both for a couple moments the man turned without another word, leading down the hall that seemed to get darker as they merged further. He had not done anything wrong, but the man had a certain air about him that set both friends on edge; he was off for reasons unknown.

As the lights dimmed to the point in which objects became merely shapes, Aoshi turned sharply to the right, opening heavy wooden doors without a sound. The voices that had been in obvious deep conversation came to an abrupt halt, Kaoru and her friend holding their breath at the sudden silence.

A nervous giggle escaped Yuki's lips before she took lead and stepped into the equally dim lighted conference room. Kaoru followed her friend with more hesitation then she normally would have upheld, scanning the shapes of the people in the dark. Yuki had already begun to answer questions that had been spouted in their direction, mostly from a woman that sat in the shadows.

Placing the dish down herself Kaoru excused herself from the room, the sudden urge to get away from the atmosphere overwhelming. There was no room for protest, only a soft murmur before the girl hid in her own shadows, the hallway.

Pinching the tip of her nose Kaoru tried to calm herself, wondering why such a strange fear had started to make her heart beat faster. Inside she could hear her friend explaining the desserts, and comments made alongside the sound of dishes clinking. Ignoring the bile threatening to make itself up her throat Kaoru figured that she was coming down with the flu.

"Oh, Kaoru? Yes, just one moment!" Yuki's ever cheerful voice spoke.

Passing a hand on her own forehead Kaoru realized where she had suffered such a sever sickness, whenever a strong vision, one that involved death, was to take place these things would happen. Her breathing became staggered and the sudden urge to grab Yuki and run screamed bloody murder in her mind.

A hand grabbed hers, pulling her forward without waiting for protest and throwing her into the conference room. Kaoru paled instantly, her hand throwing itself over her mouth to stop the threat that was starting to form.

She heard a shriek, and exclamation of shock, and even her name hollered from a strangers lips. Looking up through the fever she found her body to be weak, then falling forward onto the tight carpet. Hands reached down and rolled her over, someone delicately removing strands of hair that had fallen into her eyesight.

When her eyesight cleared Kaoru's vision swam into darkness. Another scream followed, then the struggle of someone being pulled back.

"Kitten," a stranger's voice broke through the chaos, and her mind fell into darkness, but not before confirming one of her worst fears.

She saw amber.


End file.
